KOLKATA: Nine months after the maintenance of the 15.6-km Eastern Metropolitan Bypass was handed over to Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) from Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA), the urban development and municipal affairs department on Saturday issued an order on the handover of all bridges, flyovers, culverts, underpasses and foot overbridges, a total of 37, to the civic body.
According to urban department officials, the handover of all structures on the Bypass to KMC would ensure that a single agency is in charge of maintaining the entire high-speed corridor. "Till now, the road surface was being maintained by KMC. But crucial links like culverts over canals that are situated at various points were still being maintained by KMDA. Now, KMC will manage all the infrastructure," said an official.
This will be of help to the New Garia-Kolkata Airport Metro project as well as there will be one agency less to coordinate with.
Among the major assets that have moved to KMC from KMDA include Ultadanga flyover, Chingrighata flyover, Ambedkar bridge, Baghajatin ROB, Patuli Dhalai bridge, Chingrighata FOB and culvert, Beliaghata underpass, Hyatt underpass and Science City underpass.
While acknowledging that a single agency operation does help, KMC officials say they need expertise, manpower and tools to undertake maintenance of these infrastructure. "The roads department has adequate experience in upkeep of road surfaces. After taking over the stretch of EM Bypass from Ultadanga to Patuli on December 1, 2022, motorists will acknowledge that the ride has become a lot smoother. Now that we have to look after flyovers, bridges, culverts, underpasses and foot-overbridges, we will have to chalk out a strategy to do so," a KMC roads department official said.
It has also been said that revenues earned from advertising and displays that have been put up on these structures, including the piers of the bridges, will henceforth to be accrued to KMC.
As of now, KMDA will continue to look after the maintenance of Maa flyover till any further notice in this regard.
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